Abstract

Agricultural research in marginal dry areas can contribute to reducingpoverty through the development of technological, institutional andpolicy options for poor farmers. Such research should address diversifiedopportunities and development pathways. This article analyses thediversity of livelihood strategies of rural people living in theKhanasser Valley in northwestern Syria, an area that is typical ofmarginal drylands. It proposes an operational classification of householdsbased on their different livelihood strategies, applying an integratedmethodology within a Sustainable Livelihoods framework. Householdsare classified into three clusters: agriculturists, labourers andpastoralists. The article examines the diversity of livelihoods involved,and considers where and how research should be directed to have greatestimpact on poverty. Given that rural households are not homogeneousbut dynamic entities, with diverse assets, capabilities and opportunities,the definition of household typologies can help to target developmentresearch. The article concludes that while agriculturists benefitmost, poor labourers with enough land can also gain from pro-pooragricultural research. The poorest households with little land, andpastoralists, benefit little or only indirectly.